In a Blink of an Eye

I set out on a journey years ago....looking for something special that could fully capture my love of movement and allow me to explore nature.  For as long as I can remember, I have felt the most free on a bike.   My earliest recollection of biking was at 4 years of age on my little red bike tootling down the sidewalk that ran in front of my childhood home on  First Avenue.  I also remember the day my sister (nearly my Irish Twin) Suzanne went to Kindergarten.  I was devastated.  Where did I turn; to my little red bike. I remember riding down the street without Suzanne feeling pretty lonesome.  Those few hours till she returned home from school seems like forever.  Fast forward to the greatest time of my young life,  to teenage summers full of fun...and you got it, my method of transportation back in the day was my bike.  It took me everywhere.

So it is only natural that I have come full circle, back to the bike at the age of nearly fifty.  The freedom I feel on my bike takes me back and at the same time moves me forward. I love the rush of the wind as I pedal over the miles of trails that run through the 4900 acre park preserve that lies just beyond my neighborhood.  I love the smell of the trees, the changing colors of each season, the sights and sounds of the animals scampering alongside the trail, but especially I love the quiet beauty of nature which surrounds and gently surprises you with every curve and turn of the trail.  This is why I bike. Road Bike, Mountain Bike.

The journey to Iron Girl 2012 happened surprisingly fast and furious.  Mostly because my real job this past year has taken so much of my spare time away.  Spare time I needed for training. Before I knew it I was looking at August with the stark realization that I only had 3 weeks to train for the Minneapolis Duathlon, the  race that was suppose to be my primer to Iron Girl.  Just days prior to the Minneapolis Du I was not certain I would compete.  We moved our oldest son to college the day before the race and at lunch I announced to my family that I would not be competing in the Minneapolis Du due to my lack of preparation.  Their reaction was total surprise, simply because they knew how long I had been planning this race and how badly I wanted it. The looks on their faces told me they did not want me to give up.  (My primary worry was that since I had not trained enough I would be at risk of injury.)  On the drive home, reflecting on my family's reaction and what the DU meant,  I decided to go ahead with the race.  With the help of my sideline cheering hubby Lee, I completed the Minneapolis Duathlon on August 26th in under 2 hours.

I learned a bit from that race, mostly logistics, how hard that final run off the bike really is and,  most importantly, I learned that I looooovveeed the bike portion of the Du.  I went the distance, for the first time ever,  completing the Mpls Du, a 5K run, 16 mile bike,  and 5K run.

I had four more weeks to train for Iron Girl -with work related road blocks to training  popping up at every turn. (to be continued)

Be Well